Thomas F. (hardtack) -
"Natures Wars" is a fascinating read, especially for this reader who always loved wildlife and has a undergraduate degree in Wildlife and Fisheries. Although I never got to work in that field, I still remember so many of the lessons I learned, particularly how many wildlife populations require management. And this is the basic premise of the book.
Like many others, when young I was aghast at the greatly reduced populations of wildlife, many of which are still well below sustainable population. However, there have also been great successes. Unfortunately, some of those successes have populations---due to uneducated perceptions by the general populace---that are now well over the carrying capacity of the land.
There are so many examples in this book I could take pages relating them. So I will concentrate on just two: white-tailed deer and feral cats. Bet you never thought of the latter as wildlife.
Many think of deer as being Bambi and his children. We shouldn't hunt them. But, just as an example, wildlife managers in Massachusetts determined the forests there have a carrying capacity of 15 deer per square mile. The problem is Massachusetts' deer population now exceeds over 60 per square mile. Guess which deer are the first to die when weather or forage conditions are poor? It is the fawns. Thus has been proven in study after study. Yet well-meaning, wildlife organizations strongly oppose hunters limiting the populations. What is amusing about this is hunters are not the major killers of deer, motor vehicles are. This is a result of over population, forcing deer to cover large areas to forage. Every day---yes, every day---motor vehicles collisions with deer kill three to four thousand deer across the U.S. Property damage from this is over $800 million and probably underestimated. And this doesn't reflect the over 200 human deaths per year as a result of these collisions, or the people who live but suffer injuries, often extensive. And most of this meat is wasted, due to the condition it is in after being hit by motor vehicles. Meanwhile, while we have laws in the U.S. forbidding the sale of wild game by hunters, we import venison from over 1,700 deer farms in New Zealand so this meat can be consumed at restaurants. Folks, that's money leaving the country.
Then there are the cats---yes, the pretty little kitties. To keep this short, I'll ignore cats with owners who let them roam free, killing whatever they can for food or sport. And by stating that, I know I just alienated many reading this. Feral cats are estimated to have a population of from 40 to over 60 million in the U.S., if not higher. Many people believe in "Trap, Neuter, Release" (TNR) programs as a measure to control populations. The author shows if every small animal veterinarian worked all day neutering cats it would amount to about 1.6 million being neutered every year. But this is more than replaced by the kittens the others produce. Many of these kittens, and their parents, have short, miserable lives, facing hunger, disease and predators. This is why many critics of TNR refer to it as "Trap, Neuter, Re-abandon." Studies show TNR programs don't work. A ten-year TNR program in San Diego actually resulted in an increase of the feral cat population. A seven year-program in my own county was deemed a failure. How do feral cats affect other wildlife? I suggest you read the U.S. Fish & Wildlife page on "Threats to Birds" at https://www.fws.gov/library/collections/threats-birds . So, why do many rescue organizations support TNR?, one word---donations---which help them in other aspects of their programs. Finally, you don't want to know what happens to feral cats refused by rescue organizations, as most feral cats are considered un-adoptable.
One final comment... We love our pets. I looked upon my dogs as some of my best friends. Every year, pet owners spend $50 billion on their pets, which is more than they do on their children's presents. We also spend about $5 billion on bird seed. Unless you buy specialty seed packs, a lot of what you are buying is mineral oil and crushed rock (calcium carbonate). And, by setting up bird feeder stations on a year-long basis, you are also helping to spread disease by unhealthy birds which feed there. In addition, bird predators aren't stupid. Your bird feeding stations also become their bird feeding stations.
Wildlife management isn't easy. So why do we tune out the experts? Especially when it results in increased costs and taxes for government entities which are forced to pursue much more expensive, so-called humane, methods of fixing wildlife problems This is another important message in this book. It deserves reading.
Oh, a hint for teachers who want to educate their students about the effects of road kill. One natural science teacher assigned his students a road kill evaluation study which exceeded his hopes. Turns out many of the students liked the study because it "freaked out" their parents. Learn more at http://roadkill.edutel.com/ .
Like many others, when young I was aghast at the greatly reduced populations of wildlife, many of which are still well below sustainable population. However, there have also been great successes. Unfortunately, some of those successes have populations---due to uneducated perceptions by the general populace---that are now well over the carrying capacity of the land.
There are so many examples in this book I could take pages relating them. So I will concentrate on just two: white-tailed deer and feral cats. Bet you never thought of the latter as wildlife.
Many think of deer as being Bambi and his children. We shouldn't hunt them. But, just as an example, wildlife managers in Massachusetts determined the forests there have a carrying capacity of 15 deer per square mile. The problem is Massachusetts' deer population now exceeds over 60 per square mile. Guess which deer are the first to die when weather or forage conditions are poor? It is the fawns. Thus has been proven in study after study. Yet well-meaning, wildlife organizations strongly oppose hunters limiting the populations. What is amusing about this is hunters are not the major killers of deer, motor vehicles are. This is a result of over population, forcing deer to cover large areas to forage. Every day---yes, every day---motor vehicles collisions with deer kill three to four thousand deer across the U.S. Property damage from this is over $800 million and probably underestimated. And this doesn't reflect the over 200 human deaths per year as a result of these collisions, or the people who live but suffer injuries, often extensive. And most of this meat is wasted, due to the condition it is in after being hit by motor vehicles. Meanwhile, while we have laws in the U.S. forbidding the sale of wild game by hunters, we import venison from over 1,700 deer farms in New Zealand so this meat can be consumed at restaurants. Folks, that's money leaving the country.
Then there are the cats---yes, the pretty little kitties. To keep this short, I'll ignore cats with owners who let them roam free, killing whatever they can for food or sport. And by stating that, I know I just alienated many reading this. Feral cats are estimated to have a population of from 40 to over 60 million in the U.S., if not higher. Many people believe in "Trap, Neuter, Release" (TNR) programs as a measure to control populations. The author shows if every small animal veterinarian worked all day neutering cats it would amount to about 1.6 million being neutered every year. But this is more than replaced by the kittens the others produce. Many of these kittens, and their parents, have short, miserable lives, facing hunger, disease and predators. This is why many critics of TNR refer to it as "Trap, Neuter, Re-abandon." Studies show TNR programs don't work. A ten-year TNR program in San Diego actually resulted in an increase of the feral cat population. A seven year-program in my own county was deemed a failure. How do feral cats affect other wildlife? I suggest you read the U.S. Fish & Wildlife page on "Threats to Birds" at https://www.fws.gov/library/collections/threats-birds . So, why do many rescue organizations support TNR?, one word---donations---which help them in other aspects of their programs. Finally, you don't want to know what happens to feral cats refused by rescue organizations, as most feral cats are considered un-adoptable.
One final comment... We love our pets. I looked upon my dogs as some of my best friends. Every year, pet owners spend $50 billion on their pets, which is more than they do on their children's presents. We also spend about $5 billion on bird seed. Unless you buy specialty seed packs, a lot of what you are buying is mineral oil and crushed rock (calcium carbonate). And, by setting up bird feeder stations on a year-long basis, you are also helping to spread disease by unhealthy birds which feed there. In addition, bird predators aren't stupid. Your bird feeding stations also become their bird feeding stations.
Wildlife management isn't easy. So why do we tune out the experts? Especially when it results in increased costs and taxes for government entities which are forced to pursue much more expensive, so-called humane, methods of fixing wildlife problems This is another important message in this book. It deserves reading.
Oh, a hint for teachers who want to educate their students about the effects of road kill. One natural science teacher assigned his students a road kill evaluation study which exceeded his hopes. Turns out many of the students liked the study because it "freaked out" their parents. Learn more at http://roadkill.edutel.com/ .
